If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
The right thing is so hard to do sometimes. It seems so much easier to gossip about someone who has wronged us, or to mention them in a group prayer as needing help, or to pass around an innuendo when talking about struggling Christians. But, only one thing is the right thing when we have been wounded by the action of another brother or sister in Christ! Go to the person who has wronged you, try to keep the damage contained to just the two of you, and work on being reconciled. This is God's desire, and should be our goal as his children.
The right thing is so hard to do sometimes. It seems so much easier to gossip about someone who has wronged us, or to mention them in a group prayer as needing help, or to pass around an innuendo when talking about struggling Christians. But, only one thing is the right thing when we have been wounded by the action of another brother or sister in Christ! Go to the person who has wronged you, try to keep the damage contained to just the two of you, and work on being reconciled. This is God's desire, and should be our goal as his children.
My Prayer...
Lord God Almighty, forgive my foolish and selfish ways. Give me courage to lovingly confront those who have sinned against me, but if I cannot bring reconciliation, help me through the power of your Holy Spirit to forgive as you have forgiven me. In Jesus' name, and because of his atoning sacrifice for sin I pray. Amen.
Lord God Almighty, forgive my foolish and selfish ways. Give me courage to lovingly confront those who have sinned against me, but if I cannot bring reconciliation, help me through the power of your Holy Spirit to forgive as you have forgiven me. In Jesus' name, and because of his atoning sacrifice for sin I pray. Amen.
Today's Verse Illustrated
However evil a person may be, the force of his conscience, which impels him toward a virtuous life, is always active within his inner self. This is true for all people of all ages and places. No one can quell the force of conscience, which is powerfully at work even without one's conscious awareness. The minute a person commits an evil act, he immediately feels pangs of conscience. If the function of the conscience were absent in fallen people, God's providence of restoration would be impossible. How is this force of conscience generated? Since all forces are produced by give and take action, the conscience cannot generate the force needed for its operation all by itself. That is to say, the conscience can operate only when it forms a common base with some subject partner and engages in give and take action with it. The ultimate subject partner of our conscience is God.
The human Fall, in essence, severed our relationship with God. Rather than attaining oneness with God, our ancestors joined in a reciprocal relationship with Satan, thereby becoming one with him. Jesus was the only begotten Son of God; he attained oneness with God through perfect give and take action. When we unite with Jesus in a perfect reciprocal relationship, we can recover our original God-given nature. We can cultivate a give and take relationship with God and become one with Him. This is how Jesus serves as the mediator for fallen people; he is our way, truth and life. Jesus came with love and sacrifice to give all that he had to humankind, even offering his life. If we turn to him in faith, we will "not perish but have eternal life." 10(John 3:16)CEV|KJ|NI
Christianity is a religion of love. It strives through love and sacrifice to open the path to restore the horizontal relationships of give and take between people in the love of Christ. On this horizontal foundation of love, the way is opened to restore our vertical relationship of give and take with God. In truth, this was the main purpose of all the teachings and deeds of Jesus. For example, Jesus said:
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. -Matt. 7:1-2 CEV|KJ|NI
So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. -Matt. 7:12 CEV|KJ|NI
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. -Matt. 10:32 CEV|KJ|NI
He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. -Matt. 10:41 CEV|KJ|NI
And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. -Matt. 10:42 CEV|KJ|NI
However evil a person may be, the force of his conscience, which impels him toward a virtuous life, is always active within his inner self. This is true for all people of all ages and places. No one can quell the force of conscience, which is powerfully at work even without one's conscious awareness. The minute a person commits an evil act, he immediately feels pangs of conscience. If the function of the conscience were absent in fallen people, God's providence of restoration would be impossible. How is this force of conscience generated? Since all forces are produced by give and take action, the conscience cannot generate the force needed for its operation all by itself. That is to say, the conscience can operate only when it forms a common base with some subject partner and engages in give and take action with it. The ultimate subject partner of our conscience is God.
The human Fall, in essence, severed our relationship with God. Rather than attaining oneness with God, our ancestors joined in a reciprocal relationship with Satan, thereby becoming one with him. Jesus was the only begotten Son of God; he attained oneness with God through perfect give and take action. When we unite with Jesus in a perfect reciprocal relationship, we can recover our original God-given nature. We can cultivate a give and take relationship with God and become one with Him. This is how Jesus serves as the mediator for fallen people; he is our way, truth and life. Jesus came with love and sacrifice to give all that he had to humankind, even offering his life. If we turn to him in faith, we will "not perish but have eternal life." 10(John 3:16)CEV|KJ|NI
Christianity is a religion of love. It strives through love and sacrifice to open the path to restore the horizontal relationships of give and take between people in the love of Christ. On this horizontal foundation of love, the way is opened to restore our vertical relationship of give and take with God. In truth, this was the main purpose of all the teachings and deeds of Jesus. For example, Jesus said:
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. -Matt. 7:1-2 CEV|KJ|NI
So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. -Matt. 7:12 CEV|KJ|NI
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. -Matt. 10:32 CEV|KJ|NI
He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. -Matt. 10:41 CEV|KJ|NI
And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. -Matt. 10:42 CEV|KJ|NI
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